Rattanakiri Trek Advisor to the Mountain of Precious Stones

No trip to Cambodia is complete without a jungle trekking adventure in the northeast, to discover the most remote hill tribes and landscapes of the country.

What to experience ?

Rattanakiri (the mountain of precious stones) Province in the most northeast of the country is home to a very diverse landscape spotted by lakes and waterfalls. Surrounded by dense forest on elevated highlands, the region is scattered with isolated indigenous hill tribes who live in harmony with their habitat.

Dutch Co conducts responsible one to four day jungle trekking and trips combining discrete ethnic village visits, boat treks, hiking, wildlife viewing, and kayaking. All their guides are indigenous who love to exchange about the different cultures with their guests.

Their one-day ‘Kalai Jungle’ hike takes you through the jungle close to Kalai village where you will see farmhouses of the indigenous Kreung people. Learn how the families live and take care of the crops before taking off again to trek through some streams. The trek follows hunting tracks; however you will occasionally go off the beaten track for a bit of fun and adventure.

For a journey of true exploration, try their Kachah Tribe Mountain Trek for 3 or 4 days, experiencing hikes through diverse landscapes, spending the night camped next to a three-tiered waterfall, followed by another night in an indigenous homestay. Spending time with the tribes of this region is a very rewarding and educational experience. Very welcoming and hospitable, they are often as interested in, and curious about you, as you will be in them! Or check out their latest Gibbon Spotting Trek.

How does it help ?

The indigenous peoples of the north-east are the most marginalised in the country, often dealing with abject poverty and deficiencies in education and health care. As such providing jobs to indigenous people in remote areas is crucial to improving their livelihoods. Through Dutch Co’s activities, they work with local indigenous communities to help them conserve nature and at the same time begin to improve their livelihood situation through tourism.

The company offers local indigenous people training to become responsible tour guides, in addition to hiring indigenous trackers for their treks. They provide well trained guides on all of their treks who can explain about the nature and the culture of the indigenous people inhabiting the areas they go to.

They keep the impact on the natural environment to an absolute minimum, striving to continually conserve the environment that represents both their livelihood and the livelihoods indigenous people depend on.

Dutch Co ensures that all of their garbage is carried out with the group when they leave an area, “leaving our footprints and taking only pictures”, ensuring that their guides adhere to their policy but also that tourists respect the environment too.

The company pays entrance fees to the communities they visit, the money being spent for community wide purposes such as health care and education.